Floating space frame

ABSTRACT

A durable float which in a preferred embodiment includes polyurethane filled automobile tires including an attaching rod extending through the center of each polyurethane mass through the center of each tire, with the plurality of the polyurethane filled tires joined between their respective bases and joined between their respective top surfaces with any desired deck structure mounted on top of the joining-structures, each polyurethane-filled-tire unit being spaced from other units at predetermined intervals sufficient to avoid collection of floating debris, to give the desired live load.

United States Patent 1191 Peters [111 3,834,336 ]-Sept. 10, 1974FLOATING SPACE FRAME [76] Inventor: Donald E. Peters, 81 Rustic Pl.,

Staten Island, N.Y. 10308 22 Filed: May 21,1971 21 Appl.No.: 145,773

[52] US. Cl. 114/.5 F [51] Int. Cl B63b 35/00 [58] Field of Searchl14/.5 F, 220, 219; 61/48 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS3,340,553 9/1967 Jones l14/.5 F X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS101,605 4/1963 Norway 114/220 Primary Examiner-Trygve M. Blix AssistantExaminer-Stuart M. Goldstein [57] ABSTRACT A durable float which in'apreferred embodiment includes polyurethane filled automobile tiresincluding an attaching rod extending through the center of eachpolyurethane mass through the center of each tire, with the plurality ofthe polyurethane filled tires joined between their respective bases andjoined between their respective top surfaces with any desired deckstructure mounted on top of the joiningstructures, eachpolyurethane-filled-tire unit being spaced from other units atpredetermined intervals sufiicient to avoid collection of floatingdebris, to give the desired live load.

7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PAIENTEB SEP 1 01914 Fig INVENTOR DONALD E.PETERS ATTORNEYS PATENTED 55?] SHEEI 2 0f 2 FIG.3A.

INVENTOR. DONALD E. PETERS FIG.3B. BY

TTURNES This invention relates to floating platform for use in any largebody of water, characterized by a high degree of both flexibility ofdesign and durability of floatation means, while concurrently improvingecology.

Prior to this invention, there have been a variety of floating platformsalone or in conjunction with piers or the like. The structures of thesefloating platforms are generally complex in structure, made out ofexpensive building materials, involved and costly in their manufacture,cumbersome, unwieldy when constructed as a platform, restricted indesign of floats and/or marinas, subject to corrosion and/ordeterioration from environmental waters and/or weather conditions,lacking adequate reinforcing or support structures for the deck, and thelike.

Ojects of this invention include the overcoming and- /or reducing of oneor more of the above discussed problems, together with other objectsapparent from the preceding and following disclosure.

One or more of the above objects are obtained'by a floatation device ofthis invention which includes one or more floatation means, preferablyin combination with and including a deck structure supported by aplurality of the separate floatation means spaced at predeterminedintervals distant from one another with the plurality of floatationmeans being joined to one another between their respective bases byrigid joining structures and between their respective upper portions byadditional joining structures.

The figures:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a typical embodiment of a space frame ofthis invention floating within a body of water, moored to a plurality ofpilings.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along line 2- of FIG. 1, of apreferred floatation device of this invention and of the upper and lowersupports (shown in part) typically employed for connecting the bottomportions thereof to the bottom portions of one or more distantly spacedother floatation means and for connecting the upper portions thereof tothe upper portions of other distantly spaced floatation means, the upperconnecting means illustrated also including a deck.

FIG. 3A illustrates in cross sectional view a typical mechanism employedin the process of this invention, namely the mounting of a tire ona'turntable driven by a motor with a rod means centrally mounted on theturntable and with a conventional polyurethane heated-spraying nozzlefor admixing, heating, and spraying the polyurethane ingredients intothe area to be filled in the first mounted tire. I

FIG. 38 illustrates the second step, when a plurality of tires are beingstacked to produce a floatation means of greater buoyancy than a singlepolyurethane-filled tire.

A primary utility of the present invention arises from several factors.One factor is the fact that this invention is consistent with good anddesired ecology both from the standpoint of employing old tires whichcharacteristically have inthe past constituted a serious problem ofdisposal, as well as the fact that the structure such as illustrated inFIG. 1 having the floatation means spaced at significantly distantintervals to avoid the collection of floating debris. Together with thecollection and further use of old tires, the costof the floatation meansand/or platforms of the applicants invention is very low, and asignificant improvement over the cost of prior art floatation devicesand platforms, as a result of the ready availability of large numbers ofold tires, the sole significant cost being the cost of collection andtransportation of the tires. The process, equipment, and the hollowmounting rod embedded within the polyurethane are all of simplestructure and/or mini- .mal cost. In addition to the cost factor, theuse of old tires in water as bumpers and the like is evidence of thewell known durability and toughness and resistance to corrosion, rot,and the like, all of these characteristics adding to the utility of thefloatation device of this invention. The mere shape of the tiresthemselves and the simple process of making the floatation device ofthis invention lends to extreme flexibility in varying the number oftires employed, i.e., the thickness of the floatation means, as well asthere being no significant limitations on the variations of design ofthe floatation platform. Another advantage of the particular shape ofthe polyurethane-filled tire and the hollow rod extending therethrough,together with subsequently inserted mounting rod for tying togetherupper and lower connecting structures, is that the resulting frame workwhen upper portions of a plurality of the floating means are connectedand when a plurality of the lower por tions of the floating means areinterconnected is a series of I structure-beams sturdily and rigidlytying together upper and lower connecting structural networks betweenthe plurality of floating means. As a result of the lowerconnectingstructures and parallel with the upper portions of thefloating means interconnected by a plurality of the vertical or uprightbars therebetween, the downward bending of the upper deck of theplatform to compress the upper deck structure, and the consequentdownward bending of the lower connecting structure the lower connectingstructure being stretched as a result of the weight carried on the upperdeck, both are significantly reduced as compared for example to merereliance on a sole upper structure network, for example.

The primary value of the one or more rubber tires is the protection ofthe floatation material such as the polyurethane, for example, fromdamage, from impact, and from uncontrolled growth to indeterminateshapes. Also, the compacting ofthe growing foam within the tire casingsduring growth serves to impart greater strength to the polyurethanestructure.

FIG. 1 discloses a plurality of. separate stacks 1 of Ipolyurethane-foam filled rubber tires 2a and 2b spaced at predetermineddistant intervals with each anchored to an upper deck 3 by a bolt 4. Theupper portions of the plurality of stacks are connected by a series ofparallel beams such as beam 5 extending along the imaginary longitudinalaxis 5a. Parallel to the beam 5 is a second beam 6 extending along theopposite edge of the deck structure mounted on top of a second series ofaligned stacks. On top of the beams 5 and 6 are transversebeams 7a, 7b,7c, 7d, 7e, 7f, and the like, on top of which the deck 3 is mounted.Similarly, the deck 3a is mounted on top of transverse beams 7g, 7h, andthe like. By employing-this structure of parallel beams such as 7e, 7f,and the like, there is accordinglyproduced a free space between paralleltransverse beams through which slidable extension beams 8a and 8b may beinserted and anchored, for various purposes such as securing to piling 9or such as producing appropriate marina slips, or the like. I

FIG. 2 illustrates a typical cross section of a preferred floatationdevice as taken along lines 22 of FIG. 1. Identifiable thereon are thesecuring bolt and nut 4 and 10, the tires 2aa and Zbb, the deck 3a,-thetransverse member 7h, and a longitudinal beam 10a. Additionallydisclosed are the upper and lower pressure plates 11a, 11b, 11c, and11d, each of which normally would be of square, triangular, or otherirregular shape in order to anchor the respective plates within thefoam. Also disclosed 'is the tubular connector 12 extending between thepolyurethane-filled stacked-tires, centrally located typically as shownin FIG. 2, and lower connecting beams 10b and 10c.

FIG. 3A illustrates a tire casing 2aa placed on tumtable 13 rotatablymounted on shaft 14 driven by motor 15 and held in a centered positionby supports 16a and 16b with the plates 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d screwedonto tubular member 12 centered by centering bolt 17 screwed intothreaded female aperture 18, and polyurethane spray nozzle 19 includinga heatable mixing chamber 20 into which separate polyurethane reactantsare fed by tubes 21 and 22 from a source not illustrated. The FIG. 3Aalso discloses typically the admixed and heated polyurethane ingredientsbeing sprayed with spray 23 falling within the tubular tire casing andwithin the overall enclosure.

FIG. 38 illustrates a second step of placing a second tire 2bb after thepolyurethane is sprayed into tire 2aa has expanded to about level 24. Y

It is to be understood that there may be any number of tires stacked oneon another and filled with polyurethane in the manner illustrated.

Another typical method would consist of one or more tires placed in anupright position, a hole cut in the up-, right flat surface thereofthrough the tread of a tire, the placing of enclosing barrier plates oneither side of the tire to enclose the space of the interior of the tirecasing with injecting concurrently a centering of the plates 11a, 11b,11c, and 11d and the tubular member 12, and thereafter the-injecting ofor pouring of the ingredients necessary for the production of thepolyurethane through the opening cut in the tread of each of the tires.

Although only two general methods have been described above, for theproduction of the individual polyurethane-filled tire and] or thefilling of a stack of such tire casings, any convenient or other desiredmethod may be employed for placing the tire casings into appropriateposition, centering the tubular means in place and having the foamexpand within the casings and around the tubular means in place.

Similarly, although polyurethane has repeatedly been referred to in thepreceding disclosure, any convenient because of the small investmentinitially involved as well as the long term of usage due to the highdegree of durability thereof.

The polyurethane, as is well known in the art, is conventionallyproduced by reacting isocyanate with a suitable conventional polyol.Conventional or desired proportions may be employed in conventionalreactions. Similarly,.other foam polymers of conventional or desiredcomposition may be employed and produced by known reactions from knowningredients at known or desired proportions.

It is to be recognized that the above are intended to solely illustratetypical apparatus and methods and the resulting products and platformsof this inventon, and

or desired closed cell foam orv plastic may be employed are not intendedto limit the scope of the invention unduly, the scope of this inventionextending to all equivalents and substitutes as would be apparent to aperson of ordinary skill. As to the process of FIGS. 3A and 38, duringthe final foam expansion, a flat-faced barrier wall or a timeber beam isplaced over the opening to provide a future beam seat.

What is claimed is:

1. A process comprising: admixing plastic-producing ingredients;treating said plastic forming ingredients with conditions necessary forformation of said plastic composition; confining said admixed andtreated ingredients within said outer-casing until said plasticcomposition is formed; embedding said upper plate and said lower platewithin said plastic composition during the formation of said plasticcomposition; and connecting said upper and lower plates with said rodmeans, after said admixing placing the admixed ingredients into saidouter casing within about 30 seconds after said admixing is initiated,said process further comprising first forming said plastic compositionwithin a first tire, thereafter placing a second tire on top of thefirst tire and repeating the steps of admixing the necessary ingredientsfor the formation of the polyurethane and introducing the furtheradmixed ingredients into said second tire and confining ingredientstherein during the formation of the polyurethane plastic, and embodyingthe upper plate and at least the upper portion of the polyurethaneplastic formed in the last-stacked uppermost polyurethane plastic-filltire.

- 2. A process according to claim 1, including placing the bottom-mosttire prior to said admixing and confining, onto a turntable, andincluding passing through separate conduits, said necessaryplastic-forming ingredients through a heating area into a nozzleadmixing l chamber and spraying the admixed ingredients out of saidcommon nozzle admixing chamber into respective tires in which theplastic composition is to be formed.

3. A process according to claim 1, including connecting a plurality ofsaid stack upper portions together by said upper connecting structureand connecting together a plurality of said stack lower portions by saidlower connecting structure.

4. A flotation device comprising a sub-combination comprising: at leastone tough outer-casing substantially resistant to corrosion andwater-rot when exposed to sea water environment over long periods oftime, having an opening thereinto; a tough closed-cell substantiallyresilient plastic composition mounted within said outer-casing; saidplastic composition-casing combination including an upper plate and alower plate respectively mounted unitarially about centrally of arespective upper face and a respective lower face thereof;

said plastic composition-casing combination being lighter than water; asturdy rod means extending between and substantially rigidly connectingsaid upper and lower plates; and connector means for substantiallyrigidly connecting said lower plate to at least one adjacent otherstructure and for substantially connecting said upper plate to said atleast one adjacent other structure, said sub-combination including aplurality of said outer-casings each having said plastic compositionmounted therein, in a stack thereof having top and bottom faces ofadjacent ones of said stack being fused together by said plasticcomposition around said stack such that said plurality is unitary, saidupper plate and upper face being at about the top face of said stack andsaid lower plate and lower face being at about the bottom face of saidstack, said device further including said other structure, said otherstructure comprising a plurality of said sub-combinations, connectedtogether by said connector means with separate ones of saidsub-combination-plurality being spaced at predetermined intervals in alattice network substantially along a common horizontal plane, saidconnector means including also a substantially rigid upper horizontallyextending structure connecting said plurality together at about eachstacks top face, and a substantially rigid lower horizontally extendingstructure connecting said plurality together at about each said stacksbottom face, said outer-casing comprising a tire, in which said plasticcomposition comprises polyurethane foam, in which said stack comprisesat least two tires placed one on the other with adjacent sidessubstantially in contact with each other, and in which said upperhorizontally extending structure consists essentially of a deck, saiddeck including three layers comprising a lower deck structure, anintermediate deck structure, and an upper deck structure, said lowerdeck structure being a plurality of parallel beams each extendingbetween and connecting at least two adjacent spaced stacks at theirrespective top faces, said intermediate deck layer being a plurality ofspaced supports extending alonga common plane with their respectivelongitudinal axis extending at an angle to the longitudinal axis of thebeams of the lower deck layer and connecting at least two of saidparallel lower deck layer beam, said upper deck layer being asubstantially continuous planar surface suitable for walking thereon,and said lower connecting structure including longitudinal andtransverse beams.

5. A floatation device according to claim 4, including additionalextension beams slidably supportable between adjacent parallelintermediate deck layer beams, between said lower deck layer and saidupper deck layer, such that said slidable beams are slidable topositions extending sideward from said deck.

6. For a floatation device comprising a subcombination comprising: atleast one tough outercasing substantially resistant to corrosion andwater-rot when exposed to sea water environment over long periods oftime, having an opening thereinto; a tough closed-cell substantiallyresilient plastic composition mounted within said outer-casing; saidplastic composition-casing combination including an upper plate and alower plate respectively mounted unitarially about centrally of arespective upper face and a respective lower face thereof; said plasticcomposition-casing combination being lighter than water; a sturdy rodmeans extending between and substantially rigidly connecting said upperand lower plates; and connector means for substantially rigidlyconnecting said lower plate to at least one adjacent other structure andfor substantially connecting said upper plate to said at least oneadjacent other structure, a method of producing the floatation devicecomprising: admixing plasticproducing ingredients; treating said plasticforming ingredients with conditions necessary for formation of saidplastic composition; confining said admixed and treated ingredientswithin said outer-casing until said plastic composition is formed;embedding said upper plate and said lower plate within said plasticcomposition during the formation of said plastic composition; andconnecting said upper and lower plates with said rod means.

7. A process of producing a flotation device comprising asub-combination which sub-combination comprises: at least one toughouter-casing substantially resistant to corrosion and waterrot whenexposed to sea water environment over long periods of time, having anopening thereinto; a tough closed-cell substantially resilient plasticcomposition mounted within said outerdasing; said plasticcomposition-casing combination including an upper plate and a lowerplate respectively mounted unitarially about centrally of a respectiveupper face and a respective lower face thereof; said plasticcomposition-casing combination being lighter than water; a sturdy rodmeans extending between and substantially rigidly connecting said upperand lower plates; and connector means for substantially rigidlyconnecting said lower plate to at least one adjacent other structure andfor substantially connecting said upper plate to said at least oneadjacent other structure, said process comprising placing a series ofsaid outer casings, where each said outer casing is a tire, alignedflushly side-by-side set on their treads, clamping said tires betweensaid opposing plates with one plate being flush at one end of saidseries and the opposing plate being flush at the opposite end of theseries, securing said plates together, providing a throughopening in anupwardly-facing position in each of a plurality of tires of the series,and introducing and treating foam plastic-producing ingredients througheach said through-opening.

1. A process comprising: admixing plastic-producing ingredients;treating said plastic forming ingredients with conditions necessary forformation of said plastic composition; confining said admixed andtreated ingredients within said outer-casing until said plasticcomposition is formed; embedding said upper plate and said lower platewithin said plastic composition during the formation of said plasticcomposition; and connecting said upper and lower plates with said rodmeans, after said admixing placing the admixed ingredients into saidouter casing within about 30 seconds after said admixing is initiated,said process further comprising first forming said plastic compositionwithin a first tire, thereafter placing a second tire on top of thefirst tire and repeating the steps of admixing the necessary ingredientsfor the formation of the polyurethane and introducing the furtheradmixed ingredients into said second tire and confining ingredientstherein during the formation of the polyurethane plastic, and embodyingthe upper plate and at least the upper portion of the polyurethaneplastic formed in the laststacked upper-most polyurethane plastic-filltire.
 2. A process according to claim 1, including placing thebottom-most tire prior to said admixing and confining, onto a turntable,and including passing through separate conduits, said necessaryplastic-forming ingredients through a heating area into a nozzleadmixing chamber and spraying the admixed ingredients out of said commonnozzle admixing chamber into respective tires in which the plasticcomposition is to be formed.
 3. A process according to claim 1,including connecting a plurality of said stack upper portions togetherby said upper connecting structure and connecting together a pluralityof said stack lower portions by said lower connecting structure.
 4. Aflotation device comprising a sub-combination comprising: at least onetough outer-casing substantially resistant to corrosion and water-rotwhen exposed to sea water environment over long periods of time, havingan opening thereinto; a tough closed-cell substantially resilientplastic composition mounted within said outer-casing; said plasticcomposition-casing combination including an upper plate and a lowerplate respectively mounted unitarially about centrally of a respectiveupper face and a respective lower face thereof; said plasticcomposition-casing combination being lighter than water; a sturdy rodmeans extending between and substantially rigidly connecting said upperand lower plates; and connector means for substantially rigidlyconnecting said lower plate to at least one adjacent other structure andfor substantially connecting said upper plate to said at least oneadjacent other structure, said sub-combination including a plurality ofsaid outer-casings each having said plastic composition mounted therein,in a stack thereof having top and bottom faces of adjacent ones of saidstack being fused together by said plastic composition around said stacksuch that said plurality is unitary, said upper plate and upper facebeing at about the top face of said stack and said lower plate and lowerface being at about the bottom face of said stack, said device furtherincluding said other structure, said other structure comprising aplurality of said sub-combinations, connected together by said connectormeans with separate ones of said sub-combination-plurality being spacedat predetermined intervals in a lattice network substantially along acommon horizontal plane, sAid connector means including also asubstantially rigid upper horizontally extending structure connectingsaid plurality together at about each stack''s top face, and asubstantially rigid lower horizontally extending structure connectingsaid plurality together at about each said stack''s bottom face, saidouter-casing comprising a tire, in which said plastic compositioncomprises polyurethane foam, in which said stack comprises at least twotires placed one on the other with adjacent sides substantially incontact with each other, and in which said upper horizontally extendingstructure consists essentially of a deck, said deck including threelayers comprising a lower deck structure, an intermediate deckstructure, and an upper deck structure, said lower deck structure beinga plurality of parallel beams each extending between and connecting atleast two adjacent spaced stacks at their respective top faces, saidintermediate deck layer being a plurality of spaced supports extendingalong a common plane with their respective longitudinal axis extendingat an angle to the longitudinal axis of the beams of the lower decklayer and connecting at least two of said parallel lower deck layerbeam, said upper deck layer being a substantially continuous planarsurface suitable for walking thereon, and said lower connectingstructure including longitudinal and transverse beams.
 5. A floatationdevice according to claim 4, including additional extension beamsslidably supportable between adjacent parallel intermediate deck layerbeams, between said lower deck layer and said upper deck layer, suchthat said slidable beams are slidable to positions extending sidewardfrom said deck.
 6. For a floatation device comprising a sub-combinationcomprising: at least one tough outer-casing substantially resistant tocorrosion and water-rot when exposed to sea water environment over longperiods of time, having an opening thereinto; a tough closed-cellsubstantially resilient plastic composition mounted within saidouter-casing; said plastic composition-casing combination including anupper plate and a lower plate respectively mounted unitarially aboutcentrally of a respective upper face and a respective lower facethereof; said plastic composition-casing combination being lighter thanwater; a sturdy rod means extending between and substantially rigidlyconnecting said upper and lower plates; and connector means forsubstantially rigidly connecting said lower plate to at least oneadjacent other structure and for substantially connecting said upperplate to said at least one adjacent other structure, a method ofproducing the floatation device comprising: admixing plastic-producingingredients; treating said plastic forming ingredients with conditionsnecessary for formation of said plastic composition; confining saidadmixed and treated ingredients within said outer-casing until saidplastic composition is formed; embedding said upper plate and said lowerplate within said plastic composition during the formation of saidplastic composition; and connecting said upper and lower plates withsaid rod means.
 7. A process of producing a flotation device comprisinga sub-combination which sub-combination comprises: at least one toughouter-casing substantially resistant to corrosion and waterrot whenexposed to sea water environment over long periods of time, having anopening thereinto; a tough closed-cell substantially resilient plasticcomposition mounted within said outerdasing; said plasticcomposition-casing combination including an upper plate and a lowerplate respectively mounted unitarially about centrally of a respectiveupper face and a respective lower face thereof; said plasticcomposition-casing combination being lighter than water; a sturdy rodmeans extending between and substantially rigidly connecting said upperand lower plates; and connector means for substantially rigidlyconnecting said lower plate to at least one adjacent other structure andfor suBstantially connecting said upper plate to said at least oneadjacent other structure, said process comprising placing a series ofsaid outer casings, where each said outer casing is a tire, alignedflushly side-by-side set on their treads, clamping said tires betweensaid opposing plates with one plate being flush at one end of saidseries and the opposing plate being flush at the opposite end of theseries, securing said plates together, providing a through-opening in anupwardly-facing position in each of a plurality of tires of the series,and introducing and treating foam plastic-producing ingredients througheach said through-opening.